"There ain't but two things in music: good and bad. Now if it sounds good, you don't worry what it is. You're just gonna enjoy it." -- Louis Armstrong

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

SUZI QUATRO - SUZI QUATRO

YEAR: 1973LABEL: Rak RecordsTRACK LISTING: 48 Crash, Glycerine Queen, Shine My Machine, Official Suburbian Superman, I Wanna Be Your Man, Primitive Love, All Shook Up, Sticks & Stones, Skin Tight Skin, Get Back Mama, Rockin' Moonbeam, Shakin' All OverBONUS TRACKS: Rolling Stone, Brain Confusion (For All the Lonely People), Can the Can, Ain't Ya Somethin' Honey, Little Bitch Blue, Daytona Demon, Roman Fingers, Ain't Got No HomeIMPRESSIONS: Speaking of Yanks who made it big in England but went nowhere in the U.S., we present Suzi Quatro. Well-known and damn near beloved in England but practically unknown here. Quatro is known primarily in the States as a character actor playing Leather Tuscadero occasionally on "HAPPY DAYS" and for having one minor radio hit with "Stumblin' In". However, from the beginning Suzi Quatro hit it big in England with her raucous, glam-rock and this, her debut album, fit in perfectly with the year 1973 just as much as T. Rex's "ELECTRIC WARRIOR" did. This is an album I would've loved had I had it when I was 8 years old. I can just picture myself spinning the album on my black portable record player that closed up and could be carried like a suitcase. After all, at the exact same time I was rockin' to "ELECTRIC WARRIOR" so here we have a lost opportunity for my formative years. I only first heard Suzi Quatro's eponymous debut album decades later. But who says you can't make up for lost time?MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: 48 Crash, Glycerine Queen, Official Suburbian Superman, I Wanna Be Your Man, Primitive Love, All Shook Up, Sticks & Stones, Skin Tight Skin, Get Back Mama, Shakin' All Over, Can the Can, Ain't Ya Somethin' Honey, Little Bitch Blue, Daytona DemonFACT SHEET: SUZI QUATRO is Suzi Quatro's first album. The first pressing of the album in the U.K. omitted "Can the Can" and included "Rockin' Moonbeam"; subsequent pressings added the former when it became a hit single. The album was entitled "CAN THE CAN" in Australia. "I Wanna Be Your Man" is a Beatles cover written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney. "All Shook Up" is an Elvis Presley cover written by Otis Blackwell & Elvis Presley. "Shakin' All Over" is a Johnny Kidd & the Pirates cover written by Johnny Kidd. "Ain't Got No Home" is a cover of a Clarence "Frogman" Henry song.

2 comments:

A few years back I was sat in a canal side bar in Islington at lunch time and there was a woman playing piano in the corner; it was Suzie Quatro and I was lucky enough to spend a leisurely afternoon listening to her play and sing a couple of old standards. She was just playing for fun and was extremely gracious when I told her how I was a fan of hers back in the early seventies. Lovely woman

From everything I've ever seen or heard, she seems to be a very down to earth woman who never let the madness of celebrity change her. Especially during that era when it changed so many. I particularly enjoy her appearance on DESERT ISLAND DISCS way back in the 80s where she's so laid back and funny.

Album Cover Slideshow

MISSION STATEMENT

Here in the Dark Forest we will reach under a pile of leaves (almost) every day and pull out a favourite album to listen to. These will not be reviews per se but will feature facts, track lists and personal impressions on much-loved albums.

I strongly hope that you will leave comments relating your personal impressions and experiences related to the albums featured here. The only thing better than talking about music is listening to the music itself and I'd love to hear how this music affects you as well. So please let's hear from you.

ONE SMALL NOTE ON THE TERM "ALBUM"

This is, in fact, the correct term. An "album" does not mean a vinyl record; that term would be "record" or "LP". The term "album" means "an album of songs" in the same way as a "photo album" is "an album of photos". The definition of the word "album" means a collection of songs regardless of the medium on which it is presented. An album can be on vinyl, tape, compact disc or computer file but still remains an "album". Originally the term "album" came from the days of 78 rpm records: several records would be packaged together inside a book-shaped "album" with individual sleeves where you would slide out each record to play. With the advent of 33 1/3 rpm records (the first ever LP being Frank Sinatra's IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS) all the songs from the 78 rpm package were grouped together on one 33 1/3rd rpm LP which continued to use the word "album" even after this first change in format. That is why this blog will use that term.